Lovell T. "Bill" Underwood (December 13, 1902 – July 13, 1997) was a college basketball coach, the head coach at Gonzaga University for two seasons, from 1949 to 1951, with an overall record of 26–33 (.441).[1] Underwood resigned as head basketball coach in March 1951,[2][3] and was succeeded by Hank Anderson, who stayed for 21 years.

L. T. Underwood
Biographical details
Born(1902-12-13)December 13, 1902
DiedJuly 13, 1997(1997-07-13) (aged 94)
Bellevue, Washington, U.S.
Playing career
Basketball
1923–1926Kentucky
Position(s)Forward / center
Coaching career (HC unless noted)
Basketball
1930–1932Transylvania
1949–1951Gonzaga
Baseball
1949–1950Gonzaga
Head coaching record
Overall26–33 (basketball, at Gonzaga)

Underwood was a high school basketball All-American in 1922 in Lexington, Kentucky. He earned three letters in basketball at the University of Kentucky in Lexington in 1924, 1925, and 1926. He coached at Transylvania University in Lexington in the early 1930s and moved west to Yakima, Washington, in 1938, where he resided when he was hired by Gonzaga in May 1949.[4] He was also the Gonzaga Bulldogs baseball coach from 1949 to 1950.

Underwood stayed in Spokane and was an administrator in the county school system; he became the Spokane chapter manager of the Red Cross in 1959.[5] He later served with the organization in Japan.[6] Underwood died in Bellevue in 1997 at age 94.[7]

Head coaching record

edit

Basketball

edit
Statistics overview
Season Team Overall Conference Standing Postseason
Gonzaga Bulldogs (Independent) (1949–1951)
1949–50 Gonzaga 18–11
1950–51 Gonzaga 8–22
Gonzaga: 26–33 (.441)
Total: 26–33 (.441)

      National champion         Postseason invitational champion  
      Conference regular season champion         Conference regular season and conference tournament champion
      Division regular season champion       Division regular season and conference tournament champion
      Conference tournament champion

References

edit
  1. ^ "Basketball team 1949-1950". digital.gonzaga.edu. Retrieved May 29, 2023.
  2. ^ "Bill Underwood resigns as basketball coach at Gonzaga University". Spokesman-Review. March 21, 1951. p. 14.
  3. ^ "Gonzaga hoop coach resigns". Ellensburg Daily Record. Associated Press. March 21, 1951. p. 8.
  4. ^ "Former Kentucky ace new Gonzaga mentor". Eugene Register-Guard. Associated Press. May 20, 1949. p. 10.
  5. ^ "Spokane gets new manager for Red Cross". Spokane Daily Chronicle. June 18, 1959. p. 1.
  6. ^ "Post changed by Underwood". Spokane Daily Chronicle. October 5, 1962. p. 3.
  7. ^ "Lovell Underwood". Big Blue History. Retrieved January 14, 2014.
edit